Yellow Dock

Western Bulk Herbs – Yellow Dock

Yellow dock is a milder alternative to drug store laxatives. It has mild tonic actions and can be used for scurvy, rheumatism, jaundice, and good digestion. If you have a skin condition such as boils, psoriasis, acne, and eczema you can use yellow dock it helps heal them. It is best known for its aid in digestive problems. High levels of iron in yellow dock make it ideal for healing anemia. In homeopathy, this herb is helpful for respiratory conditions, passing pains, and enlarged lymph nodes. This herb works well in conjunction with Dandelion root, Burdock, and Cleavers.

Latin Name:
Rumex crispus

Common Names:
Garden patience, Narrow dock, Broad-leaved or Curly dock, and Sour dock

Parts Used:
Dried root, chopped

Properties:
Laxative, digestive stimulant, cleansing, alterative, purgative, cholagogue

Traditional Uses:
Used as a tea or tincture, sometimes capsules.

Topical Uses / Applications:
The Zuni people powder the root and apply it to sores, rashes, and skin infections.

Culinary Uses:
The young leaves can be used sparingly in salads or boiled in bulk to remove excess bitterness. The seeds and seed pods can be ground into a flour and used similarly to buckwheat flour.

Chemical Properties:
Anthraquinone, emodin, magnesium, nepodin, oxalic acid, selenium, silicon, sodium, tannins.

Folk Lore:
N/A

Cautions:
Use with caution if you have a history of kidney stones. May have a mild laxative effect.

*Disclaimer: These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

Resources:
PDR for Herbal Medicines, 2000. Medical Economics Company, Montvale, New Jersey.
The New Holistic Herbal. David Hoffmann, 1990. Barnes and Noble Books, New York.
A Modern Herbal, Mrs. M. Grieve, (Dover Publications, New York, 1971)
Major Herbs of Ayurvedic.Compiled by Dahur Research Foundation and Dahur Ayurvet Limited, Ghaziabad, India., 2002. Churchill Livingstone, London, England.
Chinese Herbal Medicine: Materia Medica, Third Edition, Dan Bensky and Andrew Gamble, 1986. Eastland Press, Seattle, WA.
https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/rumex-crispus/
Elias, Thomas S.; Dykeman, Peter A. (2009) [1982]. Edible Wild Plants: A North American Field Guide to Over 200 Natural Foods. New York: Sterling. p. 121. ISBN 978-1-4027-6715-9. OCLC 244766414.